Candle



March 7, 1967 I F. R. A. MAiLLOUX 3,307,380

Filed Sept. 15, 1965 United States Patent C 3,307,380 CANDLE Francois R.A. Mailloux, 690 Champlain, St. Jean, Quebec, Canada Filed Sept. 15,1965, Ser. No. 487,357 13 Claims. (Cl. 67-22) This invention relates tocandles.

There has been disclosed a candle which has a cupshaped jacket coveringthe entire bottom end surface of the candle body and extending aroundthe bottom edge thereof and over the adjacent body, the jacket beingformed of a pliable plastic mastic material, more specifically,microcrystalline wax. The purpose of this structure is to enable thebottom of the candle to be bu-tted against a plane surface to which itwill stick and thus hold the candle in upright position in the absenceof a candle holder.

In the alternative, if the hole in the candle holder is too large, thecandle will still stay upright because its bottom end will stick to thehorizontal base of the candle holder opening.

One of the disadvantages of this structure is that when the candle ismade and the microcrystalline wax is applied to the lower end bydipping, a drop of the microcrystalline wax forms a protuberance at themiddle of the bottom of the candle. The protuberance has a relativelysmall surface, so when the lower end of the candle is butted against thesurface, particularly when the temperature is not high enough to makethe wax soft, there is a tendency for the structure not to work and thecandle falls.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a structurewhich avoids these disadvantages and one which will always work for thepurpose intended. To this end, the applicant provides a candle, thebottom or base end surface of which includes an annular rim or shoulder,the adherent or sticky material being provided either on this rim orwithin a cavity which the rim surrounds, giving advantages which willbecome apparent.

More specifically, there is provided in accordance with the invention acandle having an upper elongate body portion of wax, a base portioncomprising a core of said wax and adhered thereto a body of adherentmaterial extending longitudinally beyond said core, said adherentmaterial being tacky at a temperature below the softening temperature ofsaid candle wax and being adapted to seat the candle to a horizontalseating surface, said base portion having a transversely extendingsubstantially planar shoulder of annular configuration.

In one embodiment of the invention, a central cavity is provided in thebottom end of the candle surrounded by a peripheral annular rim. A layerof relatively sticky material is applied to the end of the candle sothat it covers the end surface of this rim at the bottom of the candleand provides a sticky ring for butting against the plane surface. Thisring gives a large area of contact and by the fact that the candlewithin the ring is depressed avoids any contact of the centre part ofthe candle with the surface and consequently avoids the possibility ofthere being any protuberance of small area to interfere with the generalcontact of the sticky material about the ring with the plane surface.

In another form of the invention, the applicant provides a cavity in thebase of the candle, that is, in the normal wax thereof, the cavity beingsurrounded by an ICC annular rim or shoulder as in the precedingexample, but instead of applying microcrystalline wax or other stickymaterial to this aim, he applies a pellet of such material in the cavityso that it protrudes from the cavity. Be cause of the relative thicknessof the pellet, it is deformable to a greater extent than a mere layer onthe surface of the wax of the candle and when the candle is presseddownwards, base-first against the horizontal plane surface of theholder, the pellet is deformed to provide a relatively expansive flatlower surface which adheres to the plane surface of the holder, whilethe surrounding rim or shoulder is held away from the holder surface bythe pellet and does not interfere with the sticking properties of thepellet. The pellet is pressed into the normally hemispherical cavity inthe end of the candle and is held in place by its push-fit in theopening, or the pellet may be heated, or dipped in a pool of moltenmicrocrystalline wax prior to insertion in which even-t there will be animproved adhesion between the surface of the pellet and the innersurface of the cavity.

Various types of plastic material may be employed as the adherentmaterial. One example is miorocrystalline wax having a melting pointabout to F., a congealing point of 169 F., and a needle penetration ofabout 27.6 at 77 F. Parawax 613 is one suitable product. Such wax issufficiently tacky under pressure for the candle to be seated withoutbeing heated. However, improved adherence may be obtained by slightlywarming the bottom of the candle before applying pressure.

Alternatively, a sticky gum composition may be used, in which eventthere is no need to soften the material by heat before application tothe candle holder. However, if normally tacky material is used, the baseof the candle requires to be wrapped with, for example, grease proofpaper or cellophane during packaging and sale.

Having thus generally described the invention, the mode of constructionand advantages of a candle in accordance therewith will be more readilyapparent from the preferred embodiments illustrated (not to scale) inthe accompanying drawings and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through the base portion of a knowntype of candle employing a coating of a microcrystalline adherent wax;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are similar sections of different embodiments of candlein accordance with the invention; and

FIGURES 1a, 2a and 3a illustrate the resulting shape of thecorresponding sections of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 when such candles arepressed against a horizontal holder surface.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the main body or core of the candle madeconventionally of hard paraffin wax, and 2 denotes a coating of a softermicrocrystalline wax, the thickness of which has been exaggerated forthe sake of clarity, used to cause adherence of the candle at least tothe horizontal surface 3 of a candle holder.

The coating of adherent in the known candle of FIG- URE 1 is formed bydipping the base of the candle into a bath of the molten material andupon solidification of the adherent there is formed a protuberance 4.When the candle is stuck to the horizontal surface 3 by melting the waxat the base and applying downward pressure, adherence is obtained onlyat the flattened portion of the protuberance as shown in FIGURE la.Consequently, if the candle holder is of too large a diameter to gripthe candle at the sides, the candle will be insecurely held and liableto be upset.

In the inventive embodiment of FIGURE 2, the adherent microcrystallinewax is formed with an annular extension from the base of the candle,forming an annular rim or shoulder 5. Consequently, when the candle ispressed to the floor of the candle holder as shown in FIGURE 2a, theannular rim spreads to form a substantially thick annular adherentsurface with a maximum diameter at least as large as, and normallylarger than the diameter of the base of the candle, and so provides abroad and stable base and at the same time a large area of adherence.

The candle shown in FIGURE 2 may be formed by dipping the base of thecandle in a bath of the molten microcrystalline adherent wax, aftersolidification of the wax, boring or scraping a depression or cavity asillustrated in the central portion of the base of the candle. Such acavity or bore may readily be made with a conventional drill bit.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a second embodiment within the scope of the presentinvention wherein a central bore or cavity is first formed in the baseof the main body of the candle, having an annular shoulder or rim 5, andthe cavity is subsequently filled with a pellet of the microcrystallineadherent wax so that such pellet protrudes centrally from the base. Sucha pellet may be pressed in a heat-softened condition into the cavityprovided.

It is notable that in distinction from the known candle of FIGURE 1, thepellet is of substantial thickness or depth, so that upon theapplication of heat suflicient only to melt the adherent, all of thelatter material is available to form a seating adherent surface and inpractice it spreads as shown in FIGURE 3a to form such a seating surfaceof a diameter approximating to and normally larger than the base of themain body of the candle.

A base of comparable area is not formed in the case of the known candleof FIGURE 1, and this may be attributed to three main reasons. Due tothe relative thinness of the layer of adherent wax, only a small amountof the latter is available for spreading. Since it lies closely adjacentto the hard body of the candle, there is insufiicient accommodation fordownward movement, and consequently, the degree of spreading of the waxobtained by the movement is small. Thirdly, the thin layer of adherentis of small heat capacity and is thus rapidly cooled both by the ambientair and by conduction to the adjacent surface of the main body of thecandle, and the wax is liable to solidify before the seating operationis complete.

The pellet of adherent wax 2 of FIGURE 3 is, on the contrary, ofrelatively large heat capacity, is of .substantial volume andnot subjectto the rapid cooling problem presented by a thin coating layer.

It is apparent that many modifications may be made within the scope ofthe invention. For example, the candle of FIGURE 2 may be modified byforming the adherent wax as a ring around the base of the case so thatthe adherent wax itself forms the cavity, This may be accomplished byapplying the base of the candle to an annular shaped open mouldcontaining the molten microcrystalline wax and allowing the latter toharden and adhere to the base of the candle.

Alternatively, the cavity may first be made in the base of the main bodyof the candle so as to provide an annular end, and subsequently theannular end may be dipped into the bath of molten adherent wax so as tocoat either the annular end only, or to coat the surface ofthe cavityand part of the side of the main body in addition. In each such case,there is formed an annular ring of microcrystalline wax capable ofproviding a stable support to the candle.

The thickness of the microcrystalline wax layer should be sufficient toprovide adhesion to a fiat horizontal surface and preferably also to theside surfaces of a candle holder. In the embodiments of FIGURES 2 and 2aa thickness of about of an inch at the sides, and about of an incharound the bottom of the candle is preferred, but this is not critical,and an overall thickness of of an inch is sufiicient. Thicker layers maybe built up by repeated clipping actions. In the case of the candle ofFIGURES 3 and 3a the pellet should protrude to A of .an inch, preferablyabout A; of an inch.

I claim:

1. A candle having an upper elongate body portion of wax, a base portioncomprising a core of said Wax and adhered to said base portion, a bodyof adherent material extending longitudinally beyond said core, saidadherent material being tacky at a temperature below the softeningtemperature of said candle wax and being adapted to seat the candle to ahorizontal seating surface, said base portion having a transverselyextending substantially planar shoulder of annular configuration,wherein said base portion is shaped with an end surface including saidannular shoulder, and centrally of said shoulder, a cavity, at least asurface portion of said shoulder being composed of said adherentmaterial.

2. A candle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adherent material iscomposed at least partly of microcrystalline wax.

3. A candle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said adherent material isa normally tacky gum composition.

4. A candle having an upper elongate body portion of wax, a base portioncomprising a core of said wax and adhered to said base portion, a bodyof adherent material extending longitudinally beyond said core, saidadherent material being tacky at a temperature below the softeningtemperature of said candle wax and. being adapted to seat the candle toa horizontal seating surface, said base portion having a transverselyextending substantially planar shoulder of annular configuration,wherein said base portion is formed with an end surface including saidannular shoulder and, centrally of said shoulder, a longitudinallyprotruding portion of a pellet of said adherent material, said pellethaving a remaining portion seated in a central cavity in the base endsurface of the core of said candle and adhered to the core at thesurface of the cavity.

5. A candle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said adherent material iscomposed at least partly of microcrystalline wax.

6. A candle as claimed. in claim 4 wherein the said adhering material isa normally tacky gum composition.

7. A candle having an elongate body of wax which is hard at normaltemperatures, said body having a base portion at least partly coatedwith a layer of an adherent material which is tacky at a temperaturebelow the softening temperature of said candle wax, wherein the coatedbase portion has an end surface formed with a central cavity surroundedby an annular rim, said coating layer extending at least to cover said.annular rim, said rim being thereby adapted for adhering the candle to ahorizontal holder surface.

8. A candle as claimed in claim 7 wherein said base portion has sidesurfaces also coated with said adherent material.

9. A candle as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adherent material iscomposed at least partly of microcr-ystalline wax.

It). A candle as claimed in claim 7 wherein said adherent material istacky under pressure at ambient temperatures.

11. A candle as claimed in claim 10 wherein said adherent material iscomposed at least partly of microcrystalline wax.

12. A candle having an elongate body of wax which is hard at normaltemperatures, said body having a base portion having adhered. thereto apellet of an adherent material which is tacky at a temperature below thesoftening temperature of said candle wax, wherein said 5 6 base portionof the body of the candle is formed with References Cited by theExaminer a central cavity surrounded by an annular rim, said pel- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS let being seated in said cavity and protrudinglongitudinally therefrom so as to provide means for adhering the candleto a horizontal holder surface. 5

13. A candle as claimed in claim 12 wherein said adherent material istacky under pressure at ambient temperatures.

2,689,470 9/1954 Turner 6722 3,208,245 9/1965 Turner 67-22 CHARLES I.MYHRE, Primary Examiner.

1. A CANDLE HAVING AN UPPER ELONGATE BODY PORTION OF WAX, A BASE PORTIONCOMPRISING A CORE OF SAID WAX AND ADHERED TO SAID BASE PORTION, A BODYOF ADHERENT MATERIAL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND SAID CORE, SAIDADHERENT MATERIAL BEING TACKY AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE SOFTENINGTEMPERATURE OF SAID CANDLE WAX AND BEING ADAPTED TO SEAT THE CANDLE TO AHORIZONTAL SEATING SURFACE, SAID BASE PORTION HAVING A TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SHOULDER OF ANNULAR CONFIGURATION,WHEREIN SAID BASE PORTION IS SHAPED WITH AN END SURFACE INCLUDING SAIDANNULAR SHOULDER, AND CENTRALLY OF SAID SHOULDER, A CAVITY, AT LEAST ASURFACE PORTION OF SAID SHOULDER BEING COMPOSED OF SAID ADHERENTMATERIAL.